16 Holiday Safety Tips for You and Yours this Season

If you ask me this is the very best time of the year; we’ve all got food we’re still working off from Thanksgiving and finishing up our Christmas shopping for our friends and family. What none of us need is unexpected trouble this holiday season.

Unfortunately, this time of the year is when Crime elevates and careless mistakes can be disastrous. Today I’ve put together a few simple tips and precautions that will hopefully save you and your family from any misfortune that can ruin your holidays.

Holiday Safety

Maintain your situational awareness when you’re moving to and from your vehicle or in crowded areas; keep your head on a swivel, scanning for any threats. Use the window glass around you to see behind you without making it obvious you’re looking at that person walking a little too closely behind you.

Park in a well-lit place in the parking lot, lock your doors and hide your gifts and valuables. Out of sight, out of mind. Don’t give thieves a reason to break into your vehicle.

You don’t leave your vehicle running while you dash into 7-11 do you? If so, STOP!

If you like to let everyone know how well-off you are with excessive bling, do yourself a favor and leave it at home. Why make yourself a target? Dress down.

Don’t carry a large amount of cash to pay for gifts; use credit/debit cards. Also be cautious when you take your wallet out to pay.

Have the contents of your wallet/purse inventoried in a safe location, complete with the phone numbers to call in the event your wallet/purse is stolen. You aren’t carrying your Social Security card around with you, right?

Don’t make it easy for pickpockets; keep your wallet in your front pocket or jacket pocket. Consider carrying a false Giveaway Wallet too! Ladies, keep your purse close to your body and avoid carrying a large one that can easily be ripped off your shoulder.

Teach your kids to go to store employees if you get separated from them while you’re shopping.

When you’re out shopping this holiday season, don’t update your Facebook status letting everyone know and leave some lights on or even the TV while you’re gone.

If you’re leaving town for the holidays; invest in automatic timers with battery backup, get your mail held and ask a neighbor to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Heck, ask your neighbor to even park in your driveway.

Inventory the expensive items in your house in case of theft, not that knowing the serial numbers is going to assure you’ll get your items back, but it will definitely help. It also makes insurance claims easier.

Make sure your smoke detectors have fresh batteries. A good way to remember to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors is to change them along with your clocks during Daylight Savings Time twice a year.

Have your Chimney checked by a professional each year before you start using it. Chimney fires can and do happen all the time, especially if a fire is left unattended. Another reason to have good batteries in your smoke detectors!

Put your Christmas lights on outdoor timers and don’t leave them on while you sleep. If a bad bulb causes a fire, you won’t know until it’s too late! Have you replaced those smoke detector batteries yet?

Don’t leave candles burning unattended. Fires started by candles happen all the time, but more so around the holidays.

Don’t drink and drive. There are plenty of other idiots on the road that do, don’t be one of them!

Add any Holiday Safety tips you can think of below in the comments and please share this list with your friends and family. I don’t want to hear about any ITS Readers having a horrible holiday season!

Stay safe out there and Happy Holidays!

Are you getting more than 14¢ of value per day from ITS Tactical?

At ITS Tactical we’re working hard every day to provide different methods, ideas and knowledge that could one day save your life. Instead of simply asking for your support with donations, we’ve developed a membership to allow our readers to support what we do and allow us to give you back something in return.

For less than 14¢ a day you can help contribute directly to our content, and join our growing community of supporters who have directly influenced what we’ve been able to accomplish and where we’re headed.

A wallet chain may be a good investment. Also, when you pick things up, use your legs, not your back. And make sure your feet have something to land on when walking down stairs. a sprained or broken ankle would be a bad christmas gift for anyone. Same with a herniated disc.

Also be aware of the INTERNET FRAUD SNOWMONSTER. HiT me today with 6-unathorized CC charges. My personal account. Damed be it I have to move the avail funds to the wifes acct, now....
ERRRR no under the radar spending.
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all ITS brothers.

Hey guys, another great article like usual. I loved #3 I see that all of the time in my area, especially now that its getting colder.

I also just wanted to share with everyone something that I do in regards to #5, if i know I'm going to be buying something i.e. a cup of coffee or anything like that, what I'll do is before I leave my house or wherever I am, I'll take out the amount of money I will be spending from my wallet and keep it in a different pocket, this way I wont ever have to take my wallet out to look for the proper amount in public, plus if anyone is watching you, they wont know where you keep your wallet or if you even have one on you, nor will they be able to know how much money you besides what you used to pay with. I also avoid carrying big bills with me, i hate having to use them for small purchases.

But thanks again to everyone at ITS for all of their hard work with bringing us these great articles time and time again.

Hey guys, another great article like usual. I loved #3 I see that all of the time in my area, especially now that its getting colder.
I also just wanted to share with everyone something that I do in regards to #5, if i know I'm going to be buying something i.e. a cup of coffee or anything like that, what I'll do is before I leave my house or wherever I am, I'll take out the amount of money I will be spending from my wallet and keep it in a different pocket, this way I wont ever have to take my wallet out to look for the proper amount in public, plus if anyone is watching you, they wont know where you keep your wallet or if you even have one on you, nor will they be able to know how much money you besides what you used to pay with. I also avoid carrying big bills with me, i hate having to use them for small purchases.
But thanks again to everyone at ITS for all of their hard work with bringing us these great articles time and time again.

With number 11, take pictures of the items AND the serial numbers. I have an inventory of items/serial numbers as well as photos of important items, not just expensive ones. At the very least you'll know exactly what you had so you can replace it should something happen.

Try to shop at least with one other person so they can help watch your back while heading to the car and loading the goodies. It might also be a good idea to carry some of those reusable grocery bags to put items in so you don't have the store's name visible giving a clue as to what you just bought (like electronics or jewelry). It kind of adds to number 4 I suppose, dressing down,

With number 11, take pictures of the items AND the serial numbers. I have an inventory of items/serial numbers as well as photos of important items, not just expensive ones. At the very least you'll know exactly what you had so you can replace it should something happen.
Try to shop at least with one other person so they can help watch your back while heading to the car and loading the goodies. It might also be a good idea to carry some of those reusable grocery bags to put items in so you don't have the store's name visible giving a clue as to what you just bought (like electronics or jewelry). It kind of adds to number 4 I suppose, dressing down,

Don't overload your electrical wall outlets with Christmas Light Plugs, no more than two in each. When in doubt attach them to a surge protector. Using too many is a great way to start a fire... Changed those smoke detector batteries yet?!?

Be cautious not to carry too many bags on you weighing you down as you go about. If in the event you have to defend yourself this is going to be more difficult. Make a trip or to the car to drop off bags as they add up.

This also prevents you from being labeled a target by a pickpocket or their while you are in the mall carrying around your 5 or 6 shopping bags at a time.

Don't overload your electrical wall outlets with Christmas Light Plugs, no more than two in each. When in doubt attach them to a surge protector. Using too many is a great way to start a fire... Changed those smoke detector batteries yet?!?
Be cautious not to carry too many bags on you weighing you down as you go about. If in the event you have to defend yourself this is going to be more difficult. Make a trip or to the car to drop off bags as they add up.
This also prevents you from being labeled a target by a pickpocket or their while you are in the mall carrying around your 5 or 6 shopping bags at a time.
Happy Holidays,
Jon